Sewing-machine cabinet.



No. 861,451.;- g

PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

W. C. FREE. SEWING MACHINE CABINET. APPLIOATION FILED APB 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IlY

N0. 861,451. Y PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

W. C. FREE.

SEWING MACHINE CABINET.

ArPLIoATloN FILED Arms, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET z.

PATENTBD JULY 3o, 1907.

W. G. FREE. SEWING MACHINE CABINET.

, APPLIOATION FILED Arma, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- -.III

WILLIAM C. FREE, OF` CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEWING-MACHINE CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed April 5, 1904. Serial No. 201,650.

To all whom it may concern.:

Bo it known that I, WILLTAM C. FREE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Cabinets, of which the following is a specication.

The present invention relates to what are known in the art as Iautomatic cabinets.- That is to say a cabinet of such construction that by the opening or unfolding'of a lid or leaf the machine head is brought into operative position.

The invention consists in the feautres of novelty that are hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification: Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a sewing machine cabinet embodying the invention, a portion of the sewing machine head being shown. In this figure the parts are shown in positions which they occupy when the machine head is in position for use. Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the parts in the positions which they occupy when the cabinet is closed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 Fig. l, looking in the directionv of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a sewing machine cabinet embodying the invention with nearly all of the sewing machine head broken away. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section thereof on the line 5 5, Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 6 and' 7 are respectively, a plan view and a sectional View of the hinge, portions in each figure being broken away. Fig. S is a plan view of a cabinet embodying seine features of the invention under a modified form. Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section thereof on the line 9 9, Fig. 8. Fig. l0 is a vertical longitudinal section of a sewing machine cabinet embodying some features of the invention under a modified form.

The invention relates to that class of sewing machine cabinets in which the machine head is adapted to be moved up and down through an opening in the table top by power transmitted to it through suitable connections with a hinged leaf adapted to close said open ing, and known to the trade as automatic lift and drop head cabinets.

More particularly stated, it relates to that subclass of such cabinets in which the head swings about a center at one side of the opening.

Again, it relates in part to the means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the machine head and in part to the means for mounting and supporting the machine head.

It is, of course, highly desirable that, whennot in use, the machine-head and its accessories be inclosed so as to protect them as much as possible from dust and the atmosphere. In cabinets of the class described it is the practice to construct a housing of some suitable form below the table top. The table top is, desirably,

low down and when the machine-head is in position for use, sufficient space must be provided for the free movement of the knees of the operator. I am aware `that it has been proposed to provide the cabinet with a housing all the parts of which are rigidly attached and immovable with respect to each other. The ob jcction to a rigid housing has been that with a low down top and with mechanism heretofore used for raising and lowering the machine-head, the housing is of necessity extended so far down as to interfere with the knees of the operator. In order to overcome this serious objection it has heretofore been proposed to make the front and bottom of the housing in the form of a movable apron which, when the machine-head is in operative position, is raised by some suitable means high enough to provide the necessary knee space. The movable apron is open to several objections, among which may be mentioned its liability to become broken or disarranged, the liability of the disarrangement of its operating mechanism, and the diiiiculty in making the joints around it dust tight and practically air tight.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for mounting and moving the machinehead up and down, of such construction that the cabinet may have a low down top and a permanent or fixed housing the bottom of which is located high enough to afford ample space for the free movement of the knees of the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide lifting means of such construction that the parts thereof which are located below the table top may be wholly contained within such a housing and also of such construction that the weight of the hinged leaf will be sufficient to firmly hold the machine-head in operative position.

S0 far as the present invention is concerned the top or table of the cabinet may be of any desired construction. In the drawing I have shown it as being constructed of a rectangular frame A surmounted by a second rectangular frame A but I desire to have it understood that the invention is in no Wise concerned with the construction of this table top. The part A has through it a rectangular opening and the part A is nothing more nor less than a frame or molding surrounding the opening of the part A. The two parts may be considered, conjointly, as the table top. A leaf B is hinged to the table top at O so that it may be moved to uncover the opening of the table top or to cover it, as desired. In Figs. l, 3, 5, 8 and 9 the leaf is shown open while in Fig. 3 its closed position is indicated by dotted lines.

' Considering first the preferred form of the invention the so-called platform consists of an open frame D, preferably of cast iron, which forms the immediate support for the base. E of the machine head. This frame D is hinged directly to the part A of'the table IIO top. There is however, no novelty in this, per se, since this is the ordinary method of construction. It should be observed, however, that as heretofore constructed the so-called platform has consisted of an open rectangular frame having around the margin of the opening thereof a rabbet or groove for receiving the margin of the base plate of the machine head so that the frame surrounded the base plate on all sides and the rear side of the base plate ordinarily was an inch or more away from the axis of the hinge.

According to the present invention the so-called platform does not surround the margin of the base of the machine-head. On the contrary it lies wholly below the plane of the base and one side of said base meets the top at one side of the opening therein so as to close the opening at this side without the use of any intervening part. The rear side of this so-called platform is directly connected with the part A of the top by means of hinges F, which are of the construction well known in the sewing machine art, excepting that the part f of the hinge which is secured to the part A of the table top is double and enters into the construction of other hinges G by which the base' E of the machine head is directly hinged to the table top. In other words the part f is a plate having three perforated ears for the passage of a pintle I-I upon v which the members Fand G of the two hinges are mounted to swing. By this arrangement the platform D and the machine head are independently hinged so as to be capable of independent movement about a common axis.

By dispensing with the intervening rear side of the platform as a part of the means for connecting the machine-head base to the table, and by hinging the machine-head base directly to the table top, the sweep of the machine-head in moving about its pivotal axis is reduced to a minimum and by so locating the hinges of the machine-head base and the platform that their axes are coincident, the two may befmoved together without either sliding upon the other. In operation the platform is not moved above a horizontal position in the opening in the table top, but when in this position the machine-head may be independently moved higher and tipped back in order to give access to the mechanism below the base-plate in customary manner.

By reason of the height of the head, including the upwardly extending end of the needle bar it is necessary to make the opening in the top of the cabinet considerably larger than the base of the machine head and in order to close the forward part of this opening when the machine head is in position for use, I use an extension leaf F which is of customary construction excepting that it is hinged directly to the front side of the platform in the immediate vicinity of the front side of the base-plate E, so that the front side of the base-plate meets the rear side of the extension leaf. Here, again, the intervention of one side of the customary platform is dispensed with and the sweep of the platform lessened to a corresponding extent. It is provided with a lug t' or similar device that is adapted to slide or travel upon a track or way .T so that in the process of opening the cabinet it will be guided into the open position shown in Figs. 3 and 9 while in the process of closing the cabinet it will be folded as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, thus reducing the radius of the sweep of the moving parts and making it possible, following the principal object of the invention, to use a fixed drum or shield K located at a maximum height so as to provide ample room for the free movement of the knees of the operator. Furthermore the axis of the platform hinge has heretofore usually been placed at about the plane of the underside of the table top but according to the present invention the axis of the platform hinge and also the axis of the hinge of the base-plate are located as near to the plane of the upper surface of the table top as it is possible to get them.

The features above described may be used either with or without the features hereinafter described or with or without modifications thereof. The features above described are concerned solely with the object of limiting the radial sweep of the movable parts while the features hereinafter described are concerned solely with the means for moving the platform up and down, regardless of the extent of the radial sweep of the movable part. This being so I desire to have it understood that the features hereinafter described may be used either in connection with the features hereinbefore described or in connection with a platform of the customary construction, such as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. That is to say a platform having hinges the axes of which are not coincident with the axes of the hinges of the machine head.

For raising and lowering the platform I use a rock shaft L mounted in suitable bearings and disposed within the cabinet at the back thereof below the top and parallel with the direction of movement ofthe hinged leaf B. This rock shaft' carries a pair of rigid arms M the extremities of which are connected by links N with the platform-either the open cast metal frame I) as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive or the rectangular wooden frame D having the rabbet d as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, this, as above indicated, being the platform of customary construction. The rock-shaft is located at about the lowermost plane, which the points of connection between the links and platform reach when the plat form is lowered, so that the arms and links have a toggle-like action, although in straightening, their joint does not pass the dead center.

Near one of its ends the'shaft is provided with a sector O and to this sector is attached one end of a chain cable or similar device P the other end of which in the preferred form of the invention is attached to one end of a link or lever Q the other end of which is attached to the extension leaf B at q. The cabinet is provided in the vicinity of the hinge Owith an anti-friction roller R upon which the link or lever Q bears, after the manner of a fulcrum. When the leaf B is closed the link or lever Q'(in this position it has the function of a link only and not a lever) depends straight from its pivotal connection to the leaf B and the chain or other connection P stands directly in the plane of the segment C. As the leaf is moved from its closed to its open position the part Q assumes the function of a lever, fulcruming on the pulley R. In order to maintain the Chain or other connection P directly in the plane of the sector O and i prevent it from running off the level' is made of cam shape, as shown. I desire to have it understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the link or lever Q and in Fig. 10 have shown the hinged leaf and sector as being connected by a chain cable or similar device I, the rigid link or lever Q being here dispensed with.

What I claim as new is:

1. In an automatic lift and drop head sewing machine cabinet, the combination of a top having an opening through it, a platform hinged at one side of the opening, a hinged leal' adapted to cover the opening, a rock-shaft located below the top, means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the rock-shaft, a rigid arm carried by the rock-shaft, and a link jointed at one end to the Y outer end of the arm and at the other end to the platform,

the arm and link having a toggle-like action substantially as described.

2. In an automatic lift and drop head sewing machine cabinet, the combination of a top having an opening through it, a platform hinged at the rear side of the opening, a leaf hinged at the end of the opening and adapted to cover it, a rock-shaft located below the top, at the rear side of the cabinet, and parallel with the rearv side of the opening, means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the rock-shaft, a rigid arm carried by the rock-shaft, and a link jointed at one end to the outer end of the arm and at the other end to the platform, the arm and link having a togglelike action substantially as described.

In an automatic lift and drop head sewing machine cabinet, the combination of a top having an opening through it, a platform hinged at one side of the opening, a hinged leaf adapted to cover the opening, a i'ocl sliaft, means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the rockshaft, a rigid arm carried by the rock shaft and a link jointed at one end to the outer end of the arm and at the other end to the platform, the rock-shaft being located at about the horizontal plane of the point of connection between the link and platform when the platform is in its lowermost position the arm and link having a togglelike action, substantially as described. 4. In an automatic lift and drop head sewing machine cabinet, the combination of a top having an opening through it, a platform hinged at one side of the openi-ng to swing from a horizontal position in the opening to a position below it, a hinged leaf adapted to cover the opening, a rigid part connected at one end to the leaf, a fulcrum upon which said part is adapted to bear, whereby it acts as a lever, a chain connected to the free end of said part, a sector to which the chain is attached, a rock-shaft larrying the sector and disposed below the table top and parallel with the platform hinge, and means for transmitting movement from the rock-shaft to the platform, the face of the part which contacts with the iulcrum being cam-shaped, whereby the chain is prevented from running oil' of the sector, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic lift and drop head sewing machine cabinet the combination of a top having an opening through it, a platform, hinged at one side of the opening to swing from a horizontal position in the opening to a position below the opening, a hinge leaf adapted to cover the opening, means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the platform, a machine-head base-plate supported by the platform, one side of which base-plate meets the top at one side of the opening, and a hinge directly connecting said side of the base-plate to the top, substantially as described.

G. In an automatic lift and drop head sewing machine cabinet, the combination of a top having an opening through it, a hinged leaf adapted to cover the opening, a platform hinged at one side of the opening to swing from a horizontal position in the opening to a position below it, a machine-head base-plate supported by the platform, one side of which baseplate meets the top at one side of the opening, a hinge connecting said side of the base-plate directly to the table top, whereby the base-plate may be moved from a horizontal position upward, independently of the platform, and means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the platform, the axes of the hinges carrying the platform and base-plate, being coincident, substantially as described 7. In an automatic lift and drop head sewing machine cabi-net the combination of a top having an opening through it, a hinged leaf adapted to cover the opening, a platform hinged at one side of the opening to swing from a horizontal position in the opening to a position below it, a machine-head base-plate supported by the platform, one side of which base-plate meets the top at one side of the opening, a hinge connecting said side of the base-plate directly to the table top, an extension leaf hinged to the platform and meeting the side of the base-plate which is remote from its hinge, and means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the platform, substantially as described.

S. In an automatic lift and drop head sewing cabinet the combination of a top having an through it, a hinged leaf adapted to cover the opening, hinge members, f, secured directly to the top at one side of the opening, a pair of hinge members jointed to the hinge members a platform connected to said pair of hinge members, a second pair of hinge members jointed to the hinge members f, a machine-head base-plate carried by the second pair of'hinge members and meeting the top at one side of the opening and closing it at this point, and means for transmitting movement from the hinged leaf to the platform, substantially as described.

machine opening WILLIAM C. FREE.

Witnesses EUGnNn H. 'GARNETT, L. M. HOPKINS. 

